A- (3) prefix meaning "not," from Gk a-, an- "not," from pie base *ne "not" (see un-)

transaction --- c.1460, "the adjustment of a dispute," from M.Fr. transaction, from L. transactionem (nom. transactio) "an agreement, accomplishment," from transactus, pp. of transigere "accomplish, drive or carry through," from trans- "through" + agere "to drive" (see act). Meaning "a piece of business" is attested from 1647. The verb transact is first recorded 1584.

trans-Atlantic --- 1779, from trans- "through, across" + Atlantic (q.v.).

transaxle --- 1958, from trans(mission) + axle.

transcend --- c.1340, from L. transcendere "climb over or beyond, surmount," from trans- "beyond" + scandere "to climb" (see scan (v.)). Transcendentalism first recorded 1803, in reference to the philosophy of Kant; applied 1842 to the religio-philosophical views of Emerson and similar New England thinkers. Transcendental meditation is recorded from 1966.

transcribe --- 1552, from L. transcribere "to copy, write again in another place, write over, transfer," from trans- "over" + scribere "write" (see script). To do it poorly is to transcribble (1746). Transcript "written copy" is attested from c.1290, from L. transcriptum, neut. pp. of transcribere.

transducer --- 1924, "device which converts energy from one form to another," from L. transducere "lead across, transfer," from trans- "across" + ducere "to lead" (see duke). The verb transduce is recorded from 1949.

transect (v.) --- to cut across, 1634, from L. trans- "across" + sectus, pp. of secare "to cut" (see section).

transept --- transverse section of a cruciform church, 1538, from M.L. transeptum, from L. trans- "across" + saeptum "fence, partition, enclosure" (see septum). Rare before 1700.

transfer (v.) --- 1382, from L. transferre "bear across, carry over, transfer, translate," from trans- "across" + ferre "to carry" (see infer). The noun is first attested 1674. Transference in psychoanalytical sense is recorded from 1911, transl. Ger. übertragung (Freud).

transfigure --- c.1300, from O.Fr. transfigurer (12c.), from L. transfigurare "change the shape of," from trans- "across" + figurare "to form, fashion," from figura "form, shape" (see figure). Transfiguration (c.1375) was originally "the change in appearance of Christ before his disciples" (Matt. xvii:2; Mark ix:2,3). The non-Christian sense is first recorded c.1548.

transfix --- 1590, "pierce through, impale," from M.Fr. transfixer, from L. transfixus "impaled," pp. of transfigere "to impale, pierce through," from trans- "through" + figere "to fix, fasten" (see fix). Fig. sense of "make motionless or helpless, as with amazement, terror, or grief" is first recorded 1649.

transform --- c.1340, from O.Fr. transformer, from L. transformare "change the shape or form of," from trans- "across" + formare "to form" (see form). Transformer "device to reduce electrical currents" is first recorded 1883, from Fr. transformateur (1882).

transfuse --- to transfer by pouring, c.1425, from L. transfusus, pp. of transfundere "pour from one container to another," from trans- "across" + fundere "to pour" (see found (2)). Transfusion "action of pouring liquid from one vessel to another" is attested from 1578, from L. transfusionem (nom. transfusio), from transfusus; sense of "transfering of blood from one individual to another" first recorded 1643.

transgression --- 1426, from O.Fr. transgression (12c.), from L.L. transgressionem (nom. transgressio) "a transgression of the law," from L. "a going over," from transgressus, pp. of transgredi "go beyond," from trans- "across" + gradi (pp. gressus) "to walk, go" (see grade). The verb transgress is recorded from 1526. Transgressor is first recorded 1377.

transient (adj.) --- 1607, from L. transiens (acc. transientem) "passing over or away," prp. of transire "cross over, pass away," from trans- "across" + ire "to go." The noun is first attested 1652; specific sense of "transient guest or boarder" first recorded 1880. Transience is first recorded 1745.

transistor --- small electronic device, 1948, from transfer + resistor, so called because it transfers an electrical current across a resistor. Said to have been coined by U.S. electrical engineer John Robinson Pierce (1910-2002) of Bell Telephone Laboratories, Murray Hill, N.J., where the device was invented in 1947. It that took over many functions of the vacuum tube. Transistor radio is first recorded 1958.

transit (n.) --- act or fact of passing across or through, c.1440, from L. transitus, pp. of transire "go or cross over" (see transient). Meaning "public transporation" is attested from 1873. The verb also is first recorded c.1440.

transition (n.) --- 1551, from L. transitionem (nom. transitio) "a going across or over," noun of action from transire "go or cross over" (see transient).

transitive --- taking a direct object (of verbs), 1571 (implied in transitively), from L.L. transitivus (Priscian) "transitive," lit. "that may pass over (to another person)," from transire "go or cross over" (see transient).

transitory --- c.1374, from O.Fr. transitoire (12c.), from L.L. transitorius "passing, transient," from L., "allowing passage through," from transitus, pp. of transire "go or cross over" (see transient).

translate --- c.1300, "to remove from one place to another," also "to turn from one language to another," from L. translatus "carried over," serving as pp. of transferre "to bring over, carry over" (see transfer), from trans- + latus "borne, carried," from *tlatos, from PIE base *tel-, *tol- "to bear, carry" (see extol). A similar notion is behind the O.E. word it replaced, awendan, from wendan "to turn, direct" (see wend). Translation "work turned from one language to another" is attested from c.1340.

transliterate --- to write a word in the characters of another alphabet, 1861, apparently coined by Ger. philologist Max Müller (1823–1900), from trans- "across" + L. littera (also litera) "letter, character" (see letter).

translucent --- 1596, from L. translucentem (nom. translucens), prp. of translucere "to shine through," from trans- "through" + lucere "to shine" (see light (n.)).

transmigration --- 1297, from L.L. transmigrationem (nom. transmigratio) "change of country," noun of action from L. transmigrare "to wander, to migrate," from trans- "over" + migrare "to migrate" (see migration). Originally literal, in ref. to the removal of the Jews into the Babylonian captivity; general sense of "passage from one place to another" is attested from 1382; sense of "passage of the soul after death into another body" first recorded 1594.

transmission --- 1611, "conveyance from one place to another," from L. transmissionem (nom. transmissio) "a sending over or across, passage," from transmissus, pp. of transmittere "send over or across" (see transmit). Meaning "part of a motor vehicle that regulates power from the engine to the axle" is first recorded 1894.

transmit --- c.1400, from L. transmittere "send across, transfer, pass on," from trans- "across" + mittere "to send." Transmitter "apparatus for receiving radio signals" is first attested 1934.

transmogrify --- to change completely, 1656, apparently a perversion of transmigure, from transmigrate, perhaps influenced by modify.

transmutation --- c.1380, from O.Fr. transmutation (12c.), from L.L. transmutationem (nom. transmutatio) "a change, shift," noun of action from L. transmutare "change from one condition to another," from trans- "thoroughly" + mutare "to change" (see mutable). A word from alchemy.

trans-oceanic --- 1827, "situated across the ocean," from trans- + oceanic. Meaning "passing over the sea" is recorded from 1868.

transom --- 1388, transeyn "crossbeam spanning an opening, lintel," probably by dissimilation from L. transtrum "crossbeam" (especially one spanning an opening), from trans- "across" + instrumental suffix -trum. Meaning "small window over a door or other window" is first recorded 1844.

transparent --- 1413, from M.L. transparentem (nom. transparens), prp. of transparere "show light through," from L. trans- "through" + parere "come in sight, appear." Figurative sense of "easily seen through" is first attested 1592. The attempt to back-form a verb transpare (1604) died with the 17c.

transpire --- 1597, "pass off in the form of a vapor or liquid," from M.Fr. transpirer (c.1560), from L. trans- "through" + spirare "to breathe" (see spirit). Figurative sense of "leak out, become known" is recorded from 1741, and the erroneous meaning "take place, happen" is almost as old, being first recorded 1755.

transplant (v.) --- c.1440, from L.L. transplantare "plant again in a different place," from L. trans- "across" + plantare "to plant" (see plant). Extended to people (1555) and then to organs or tissue (1786).The noun, in ref. to plants, is recorded from 1756; in ref. to surgical transplanting of human organs or tissue it is first recorded 1951, but not in widespread use until Christiaan Barnard performed the world's first successful heart transplant in 1967 at Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa. Meaning "person not native to his place of residence" is recorded from 1961.

transponder --- 1945, from trans(mit) + (res)pond + -er

transport (v.) --- c.1374, from O.Fr. transporter "carry or convey across" (14c.), from L. transportare, from trans- "across" + portare "to carry" (see port (1)). Sense of "carry away with strong feelings" is first recorded 1509. Meaning "to carry away into banishment" is recorded from 1666. The noun is attested from 1456, originally "mental exaltation;" sense of "means of transportation" is recorded from 1694. Transportation "act of transporting" is recorded from 1540. In the sense of "means of conveyance" it is first recorded 1853.

transpose --- c.1380, from O.Fr. transposer (14c.), from L. transponere (pp. transpositus) "to place over," from trans- "over" + ponere "to put, place" (see position). Form altered in Fr. on model of poser "to put, place." Sense of "put music in a different key" is from 1609.

transsexualism --- intense desire to change one's sexual status, including the anatomical structure, 1953, coined by U.S. physician Harry Benjamin (1885-1986) from trans- + sexual (see sex); first record of transsexual (adj. and n.) is from 1957. Transsexuality is recorded from 1941, but was used at first to mean "homosexuality" or "bisexuality."

transubstantiation --- 1398, "change of one substance to another," from M.L. trans(s)ubstantiationem (nom. trans(s)ubstantio), noun of action from trans(s)ubstantiare "to change from one substance into another," from L. trans- "across" + substantiare "to substantiate," from substania "substance" (see substance). Ecclesiastical sense in reference to the Eucharist first recorded 1533.

transverse (adj.) --- lying across, 1596 (earlier transversary, c.1400), from L. transversus "turned or directed across," pp. of transvertere "turn across," from trans- "across" + vertere "to turn" (see versus). The verb transvert is recorded from 1432.

transvestite --- person with a strong desire to dress in clothing of the opposite sex, 1922, from Ger. Transvestit (1910), coined from L. trans- "across" + vestire "to dress, to clothe" (see wear). Shortened form trannie first recorded 1983 (in 1960s this was used as a slang shortening of transistor radio). Transvestism is first attested 1928.

trap (n.) --- late O.E. træppe "snare, trap," from P.Gmc. *trap- (cf. M.Du. trappe "trap, snare"), related to Gmc. words for "stair, step, tread" (cf. M.Du., M.L.G. trappe, treppe, Ger. Treppe "step, stair"). Probably connected to O.Fr. trape, Sp. trampa "trap, pit, snare," but the exact relationship is uncertain. The connecting notion seems to be "that on which an animal steps." Sense of "deceitful practice, trickery" is first recorded 1681. Sense in speed trap recorded from 1906. Slang meaning "mouth" is from 1776. The verb is attested from 1393 (O.E. had betræppan); trap door is first attested c.1374. Trapper "one who traps animals" (for fur, etc.) is recorded from 1768.

trapeze --- 1861, from Fr. trapèze, from L.L. trapezium (see trapezium), probably because the crossbar, the ropes and the ceiling formed a trapezium.

trapezium --- 1570, from L.L. trapezium, from Gk. trapezion "irregular quadrilateral," lit. "a little table," dim. of trapeza "table," from tra- "four" (see four) + peza "foot, edge," related to pous (see foot). Before 1546, L. editions of Euclid used the Arabic word helmariphe. As the name of a bone in the wrist, it is recorded from 1840.

trapezoid --- 1706, "a trapezium," from Mod.L. trapezoides, from Late Gk. trapezoeides (Proclus), special use by Euclid of Gk. trapezoeides "trapezium-shaped," from trapeza, lit. "table" (see trapezium), + -oeides "shaped." Technically, a quadrilateral figure with no two sides parallel. But in Eng. since c.1800, often confused with trapezium in its sense of "a quadrilateral figure having only two sides parallel."

trappings --- ornamental covering for a horse, 1398, from M.E. trappe "cloth for a horse" (c.1300), alteration of M.Fr. drap "cloth" (see drape).

Trappist --- 1814, from Fr. trappiste, Cistercian monk of reformed order est. 1664 by abbot De Rancé of La Trappe in Normandy.

traps (1) --- expanse of dark igneous rock, 1794, from Swed. trapp (1766), from trappa "stair," related to M.L.G. trappe "staircase" (see trap). So called from the step-like appearance of the rock.

traps (2) --- drums, cymbals, bells, etc., 1925, from earlier trap drummer (1903) "street musician who plays a drum and several other instruments at once," perhaps from traps "belongings" (1813), shortened form of trappings.

trash (n.) --- anything of little use or value, 1518, perhaps from a Scand. source (cf. O.N. tros "rubbish, fallen leaves and twigs," Norw. dial. trask "lumber, trash, baggage," Swed. trasa "rags, tatters"), of unknown origin. Applied to ill-bred persons or groups from 1604 ("Othello"). Applied to domestic refuse or garbage in 1906 (Amer.Eng.). The verb meaning "to discard as worthless" is 1895, from the noun; in the sense of "destroy, vandalize" it is attested from 1970; extended to "criticize severely" in 1975. White trash is from 1831, originally Southern U.S. black slang. Trashy "worthless" first attested 1620.

trattoria --- Italian restaurant, 1832, from It., from trattore "host, keeper of an eating house," from trattare "to treat," from L. tractare, freq. of trahere (pp. tractus) "to draw" (see tract (1)).

trauma --- 1656 (implied in traumatic), "physical wound," from Gk. trauma "wound," from PIE *tro-, *trau-, from base *tere- "to rub, turn" (see throw (v.)). Sense of "psychic wound, unpleasant experience which causes abnormal stress" is implied in traumatic, in psychological jargon 1889. Traumatize in the psychological sense is attested from 1949.

travail (n.) --- labor, toil, c.1250, from O.Fr. travail "suffering or painful effort, trouble" (12c.), from travailler "to toil, labor," originally "to trouble, torture," from V.L. *tripaliare "to torture," from *tripalium (in L.L. trepalium) "instrument of torture," probably from L. tripalis "having three stakes" (from tria, tres "three" + palus "stake"), which sounds ominous, but the exact notion is obscure. The verb is recorded from c.1300.

travel (v.) --- c.1375, "to journey," from travailen (1300) "to make a journey," originally "to toil, labor" (see travail). The semantic development may have been via the notion of "go on a difficult journey," but it may also reflect the difficulty of going anywhere in the Middle Ages. Replaced O.E. faran. Travels "accounts of journeys" is recorded from 1591. Traveled "experienced in travel" is from 1413. Traveling salesman is attested from 1885.

travelogue --- a talk on travel, 1903, a hybrid word coined by U.S. traveler Burton Holmes (1870-1958) from travel + Gk.-derived -logue, abstracted from monologue.

traverse (v.) --- c.1325, "pass across, over, or through," from O.Fr. traverser "to cross, thwart" (11c.), from V.L. *traversare, from L. transversare "to cross, throw across," from L. transversus "turn across" (see transverse). The noun meaning "act of passing through a gate, crossing a bridge, etc." is recorded from 1347; meaning "a passage by which one may traverse" is recorded from 1678. Military foritifcation sense of "barrier, barricade" is recorded from 1599.

travesty --- 1674, from adj. meaning "dressed so as to be made ridiculous, parodied, burlesqued" (c.1662), from Fr. travesti "dressed in disguise," pp. of travestir "to disguise" (1592), from It. travestire "to disguise," from L. trans- "over" + vestire "to clothe" (see wear).

Traviata, La --- title of an opera by Verdi, from It., lit. "the woman led astray," from traviata lit. "to lead beyond the way," from tra- "across, beyond" (from L. trans-) + via "way" (see via).

trawl --- 1561, from Du. tragelen, from M.Du. traghelen "to drag," from traghel "dragnet," probably from L. tragula "dragnet." Trawler is from 1599.

tray --- O.E. treg, trig "flat board with a low rim," from P.Gmc. *traujan (cf. O.Swed. tro, a corn measure). Related to O.E. treow "wood, tree," and the primary sense may have been "wooden vessel."

treachery --- c.1225, from O.Fr. trecherie "deceit, cheating" (12c.), from trechier "to cheat, deceive" (see trick). Treacherous is recorded from c.1330, from O.Fr. trechereus, from trechier.

treacle --- 1340, "medicinal compound, antidote for poison," from O.Fr. triacle "antidote" (c.1200), from V.L. *triacula, from L. theriaca, from Gk. theriake (antidotos) "antidote for poisonous wild animals," from fem. of theriakos "of a wild animal," from therion "wild animal," dim. of ther (gen. theros) "wild animal," from PIE base *ghwer- "wild" (see fierce). Sense of "molasses" is first recorded 1694; that of "anything too sweet or sentimental" is from 1771. The connection may be from the use of molasses as a laxative, or its use to disguise the bad taste of medicine.

tread (v.) --- O.E. tredan (class V strong verb; past tense træd, pp. treden), from P.Gmc. *tredanan (cf. O.Fris. treda, M.Du. treden, O.H.G. tretan, Ger. treten, Goth. trudan, O.N. troða). The noun is recorded from c.1225, from the verb; in ref. to automobile tires, it is recorded from 1906. Treadmill invented (and named) 1822 by William Cubitt of Ipswich, England; originally an instrument of prison discipline.

treadle --- lever worked by foot, c.1400, from O.E. tredel "step, stair," from tredan "to tread" (see tread) + instrum. suffix -el (cf. handle).

treason --- c.1225, from Anglo-Fr. treson, from O.Fr. traison (11c.; Fr. trahison), from L. traditionem (nom. traditio) "a handing over, delivery, surrender" (see tradition). O.Fr. form influenced by the verb trair "betray." In old English law, high treason is violation by a subject of his allegiance to his sovereign or to the state; distinguished from petit treason, treason against a subject, such as murder of a master by his servant.

treasure (n.) --- 1137, from O.Fr. tresor "treasury, treasure" (11c.), from Gallo-Romance *tresaurus, from L. thesaurus "treasury, treasure" (cf. Sp., It. tesoro), from Gk. thesauros "store, treasure, treasure house" (see thesaurus). Replaced O.E. goldhord. General sense of "anything valued" is recorded from c.1200. The verb is attested from 1382. Treasurer is attested from c.1290, from O.Fr. tresorier. Treasure hunt is first recorded 1913. For treasure trove, see trove.

treasury --- c.1290, "room for treasure," from O.Fr. tresorie (11c.), from tresor (see treasure). Meaning "department of state that controls public revenue" is recorded from c.1383.

treat (v.) --- 1297, "negotiate, bargain, deal with," from O.Fr. traitier (12c.), from L. tractare "manage, handle, deal with," originally "drag about," frequentative of trahere (pp. tractus) "to pull, draw" (see tract (1)). Meaning "to entertain with food and drink by way of compliment or kindness (or bribery)" is recorded from c.1500. Sense of "deal with in speech or writing" (c.1325) led to the use in medicine (1781), "to attempt to heal or cure." The noun is first recorded 1375, "action of discussing terms;" sense of "a treating with food and drink" (1651) was extended by 1770 to "anything that gives pleasure." Treatment "conduct, behavior" is recorded from c.1560; in the medical sense, it is first recorded 1744.

treatise --- c.1300, from Anglo-Fr. tretiz (c.1250), contracted from O.Fr. traiteiz, from Gallo-Romance *tractaticius, from L. tractare "to deal with" (see treat).

treaty --- c.1386, "treatment, discussion," from O.Fr. traité "assembly, agreement, treaty," from L. tractatus "discussion, handling," from tractare "to handle, manage" (see treat). Sense of "contract between nations" is first recorded 1430.

treble (adj.) --- c.1374, "three times, triple," from O.Fr. treble (12c.), from L. triplus (see triple). The verb is recorded from c.1325. The noun meaning "highest part in music, soprano" is attested from c.1330, from O.Fr. treble; in early contrapuntal music, the chief melody was in the tenor, and the treble was the "third" part above it (after the alto).

trebuchet --- medieval stone-throwing engine of war, c.1300 (in Anglo-L. from 1224), from O.Fr. trebuchet (12c.) "siege engine," from trabucher "to overturn, overthrow" (11c.), from tra- (from L. trans-, here expressing "displacement") + O.Fr. buc "trunk, bulk," from W.Gmc. *buh- (cf. Ger. bauch "belly").

tree --- O.E. treo, treow "tree" (also "wood"), from P.Gmc. *trewan (cf. O.Fris. tre, O.S. trio, O.N. tre, Goth. triu), from PIE *deru-/*doru- "oak" (cf. Skt. dru "tree, wood," daru "wood, log;" Gk. drys "oak," doru "spear;" O.C.S. drievo "tree, wood;" Serb. drvo "tree," drva "wood;" Rus. drevo "tree, wood;" Czech drva; Pol. drwa "wood;" Lith. derva "pine wood;" O.Ir. daur, Welsh derwen "oak," Albanian drusk "oak"). Importance of the oak in mythology is reflected in the recurring use of words for "oak" to mean "tree." In O.E. and M.E., also "thing made of wood," especially the cross of the Crucifixion and a gallows (cf. Tyburn tree, gallows mentioned 12c. at Tyburn, at junction of Oxford Street and Edgware Road, place of public execution for Middlesex until 1783). Sense in family tree first attested 1706; verb meaning "to chase up a tree" is from 1700. Tree-hugger, contemptuous for "environmentalist" is attested by 1989.

trefoil --- c.1400, from Anglo-Fr. trifoil (c.1265), from O.Fr. trefeuil, from L. trifolium "three-leaved plant," from tri- "three" + folium "leaf" (see folio).

trek --- 1849 (n.); 1850 (v.), "to travel or migrate by ox wagon," from Afrikaans trek, from Du. trekken "to march, journey," originally "to draw, pull," from M.Du. trecken (cf. M.L.G. trecken, O.H.G. trechan "to draw"). Especially in reference to the Groot Trek (1835 and after) of more than 10,000 Boers, who, discontent with the English colonial authorities, left Cape Colony and went north and north-east. Slang Trekkie "fan of the TV series 'Star Trek' " first recorded 1976.

trellis --- c.1400, "lattice, grating," from O.Fr. trelis, originally "sackcloth," from V.L. *trilicius, from L. trilicis, gen. of trilix "having three threads, triple-twilled," from tri- three + licium "thread." Cognate with Gk. trimitos. Sense extended in O.Fr. to things "woven" of iron, etc., which brought on infl. of O.Fr. treille "vine trellis," perhaps from L. trichila "bower, arbor," which is apparently from L. triclinium "couch extending round three sides of a table" (for reclining on at meals). Meaning "lattice used to support growing vines" is from 1513.

tremble (v.) --- 1303, "shake from fear, cold, etc.," from O.Fr. trembler "tremble, fear" (11c.), from V.L. *tremulare (cf. It. tremolare, Sp. temblar), from L. tremulus "trembling, tremulous," from tremere "to tremble, shiver, quake," from PIE *trem- "to tremble" (cf. Gk. tremein "to shiver, tremble," Lith. trimu "to chase away," O.C.S. treso "to shake," Goth. þramstei "grasshopper"). A native word for this was O.E. bifian. The noun is recorded from 1609.